201 Bassett, Petaluma, Silent Video Tour, Short version, Bonnie Spindler, The Victorian Specialist

I’m taking you to a time when California’s rivers, ocean, and bays were its highways. Its inhabitants were considered pioneers. This story is about the conjunction of two pioneering families, an architect, and the American Dream.
Once upon a time, there was a budding pioneer town in the Golden West that drew dreamers from all over the world. One such couple came from Bremen, Germany. Germany was experiencing famine and depression, so August and Johnna Drees arrived in California in 1853 full of hope. The Gold Rush was nearly over so they purchased a one-half share of the Franklin Hotel. In 1871, A. H. Drees established an early poultry business. The Drees Poultry & Egg plant was on the southwest corner of Western Ave and Keller St. (It closed in 1917.) They had eight children, the eldest of whom was Emil.
Emil was a Democrat and was against slavery, an anomaly at the time in Petaluma. In 1892, Emil became the youngest Mayor ever elected. He pushed for “better roads, sewers, sidewalks, bridges, and flood control”. He also ran Drees Brothers, Poultry, Eggs, Flour, Feed, and Green and dried Fruit. It became one of the largest dealerships in Petaluma.
In 1894, Emil Drees married Emma Gossage. They built 2 Liberty Street at A and had two children.
Emil was Mayor in 1906 when the earthquake hit San Francisco and Santa Rosa. Petalaluma was nearly untouched. Because of the enormous wealth in Petaluma at the time, Emil Drees sent food, supplies, doctors, and firemen by railroad to aid Santa Rosa and a steamship named “Gold” to send eggs, supplies, and doctors to San Francisco. Later, (1916) Emil became an Assemblyman and Municipal judge.
Emil and Emma’s son H. Adolph Drees married Lucy Lawler. The Lawlers fled Ireland in similar circumstances as the Drees. Ireland was experiencing a famine and a lack of employment. Lucy’s father had bought an entire block so the girls could live next to each other. On November 4th, 1908, H. A. Drees gave Brainerd Jones $30 for plans and specifications for a cottage at Bassett and Upham.
Lucy’s two sisters built houses next door. Thanksgiving and Christmas’ were hosted in each other’s houses. The area became known as “Lawler’s Block”. Lucy was an artist who managed the Drees Florist shop and lived at 201 Basset. Ali Lawler Stillwell lived at 209 Bassett, and when she got divorced, she also worked in the Drees Family flower shop. Grace Lawler Akers lived in the third house down at 215 Bassett. 201 and 215 Bassett were designed by Brainerd Jones. Drees and Lawler's relatives still own these homes today.
Brainerd Jones was born in Chicago in 1869 to a prominent attorney. Jones was just 6 years old when his father suddenly died. His mother moved the family to Petaluma, CA in 1875 when the Drees Poultry business was starting to take off. After an apprenticeship with Mac Dougal Brothers Architects in San Francisco, Jones came back to Petaluma and hung his shingle as an architect in 1900 at 31 years old and Emil was Mayor. He would continue to design homes and commercial buildings until his death at 74 of heart failure. He is said to have created 80% of the heritage homes in the historic district of Petaluma. In 1901 he remodeled the Opera House, designed and won the commission for the Carnegie Library in 1904 which is the History Museum today. Also in 1904, he designed 901 D St.
He beat Julia Morgan for the commission to design The Petaluma Women’s Club in 1913 and designed 100s of homes, such as 910 D Street in 1923.
201 Bassett is in nearly original condition with all its columns, fireplace, pocket doors, and leaded windows intact.
You can be the first to own 201 Bassett outside the Drees and Lawler families.